LOS ANGELES , California -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Metallica 's Lars Ulrich loves Black Sabbath and Deep Purple -- and so does his 10-year-old son .

Actor Rodger Corser plays `` Guitar Hero '' at an April event in Australia . The game has revived interest in rock music .

Ulrich may have played songs from those old rock bands around the house on his stereo , but he gives credit for his son 's excitement to another source : video games .

Myles Ulrich is a fan of games such as `` Guitar Hero '' and `` Rock Band , '' which have spawned a comeback for rock music .

`` It 's a cool generational thing to share that with your kids , '' said Ulrich , the drummer for the multi-platinum quartet . `` My -LSB- son 's -RSB- favorite bands are ... the same bands that are my favorite bands -- the bands I grew up on . ''

A few years ago , rock music was struggling on the charts . With hip-hop and teen pop ruling , rock was finding it hard to break through with new music -- or sell more of the old .

But `` Guitar Hero '' and `` Rock Band '' have prompted kids born in the '90s to discover artists from the '70s and '80s such as Aerosmith , Twisted Sister and Pat Benatar . The games ' amazing popularity -- last year , the two brought in more than $ 935 million in revenue , according to the NPD Group market research company -- has helped create success in other markets , according to observers . Watch Ulrich and others praise the games on `` American Morning '' ''

Geoff Mayfield , senior analyst and director of charts for Billboard magazine , said he sees a direct cause-and-effect for some of the artists who have licensed their songs to `` Guitar Hero . ''

`` A few weeks ago , when the game featuring Aerosmith -LSB- ` Guitar Hero : Aerosmith ' -RSB- came out , there was more than a 40 percent increase in their catalog sales . I expect you 'll see that again when Metallica gets the same kind of treatment in a few weeks , '' Mayfield said . iReport.com : Do you shred on `` Guitar Hero ? ''

Once wary of downloading , Metallica has changed its tune with its upcoming album .

`` When ` Death Magnetic ' comes out in September , you can actually download the new album the same day it comes out , and play it on your ` Guitar Hero III , ' '' Ulrich said -- fully aware of the irony , given his band 's past litigation with the Internet music file-sharing service Napster .

Even in an uncertain economy , the video games also have increased interest in guitars , according to the nationwide Guitar Center chain . And bars holding `` Guitar Hero '' nights also have enjoyed a boost in business : Big Wangs sports tavern in Hollywood , California , reports a 25 percent to 35 percent increase in sales .

The results have played out at such places as Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles , where most teens have grown up on a steady diet of hip-hop and R&B .

Recently , heavy metal blared from the school 's darkened auditorium as it sponsored a three-day `` Guitar Hero Face-Off . '' Spotlights illuminated the competitors , and an audience full of enthusiasts screamed wildly at the end of each song .

It was enough to make 16-year-old finalist George Gomez nervous . `` You got fans cheering you on , '' he marveled shyly .

For Mayfield , the marriage of music and video games makes perfect sense , especially for an ailing record industry that 's been having trouble selling CDs .

`` This is a chance for something that 's been a competition to actually be an ally , if you will , '' he said .

Mayfield has never played `` Guitar Hero '' or `` Rock Band , '' but he said he understands the irresistible appeal of kids and adults indulging in some harmless headbanging -- albeit with toy instruments .

`` If you 've ever played air guitar , more than likely , you were n't doing it to a Michael Jackson song . You were doing it to an Aerosmith song , '' he said .

CNN 's Carolyn Sung contributed to this article .

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`` Guitar Hero '' and `` Rock Band '' games have been hugely successful

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Video games ' success has helped sell rock music , guitars

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Teens getting into rock heroes of '70s , '80s

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Aerosmith catalog sales went up after `` Guitar Hero : Aerosmith '' came out